Behind the Bottle: Tips for Opening, Storing and Enjoying the Red, White and Bubbly

The world of wine has many choices: Red or white? Sparkling or not? Australian or Italian? With the mountain of bottles in front of you at your local wine shop, you thought just choosing a wine was difficult. It's been said that wine is alive, that it requires special attention and care in order for it to be its best. So Behind the Burner is here to simplify your wine education and let you in all the tips, tricks and techniques to make sure that you get the most out of your Shiraz, Chardonnay, Champagne or whichever varietal your palate craves.

A Bit of Bubbly

Opening a bottle of champagne evokes images of festivities, a loud pop and bubbles rushing from the bottle in a stream of celebration. The truth is there's nothing celebratory about spilt spirits. Opening a bottle of champagne or sparkling wine can be tricky. Here's the 411 on the technique that will guarantee you'll enjoy every last drop.

1. Remove the foil from the top of the bottle and place your thumb on top of the cork to prevent it from shooting across the room (or worse into your guest's eye).

2. Twist the wire to open the cage over the cork, while keeping your thumb over the cork.

3. Hold the bottle at a 45-degree angle when removing the cork. This allows the bubbles to connect with the glass while preventing foam from shooting out.

4. With your hand over the cork and cage, twist the bottle rather than the cork, wait for the pop, and enjoy!

Pop Your Top

The wine industry has created a plethora of gadgets for opening bottles, some with too many bells and whistles to count. But let's get back to basics with the technique for uncorking your bodacious bottles of wine with two traditional openers.

Waiter's Corkscrew

The waiter's corkscrew is a one-stop opener with all your needs. It consists of three main parts: the knife, the corkscrew and the lever. A two-step lever is preferable because it will give you more leverage when opening the bottle and ultimately make the experience easier.

1. Cut the foil around the top of the bottle with the knife and remove.

2. The corkscrew is designed with an angle, so when inserting the corkscrew into the cork, do so at a complimentary angle. Twist the corkscrew clockwise into the cork.

3. Place the first step of the lever on the neck of the bottle, grasp tightly, and lift. The corkscrew should be about halfway out of the bottle at this point.

4. Place the second step or end of the lever on the neck of the bottle and lift the handle until the cork comes out.

**Avoid pulling the cork out too quickly or at an angle, or you could be wearing red wine on you white shirt.

Double Action/Wing Corkscrew

When using a double action or winged corkscrew, place the bottle on a flat surface about mid-chest level.

1. Raise the wings of the corkscrew and remove the foil from the bottle with the sharp end of the corkscrew.

2. Lower the wings and place the corkscrew in the middle of the cork.

3. Hold the bottle firmly where the base of the corkscrew and neck meet. Twist the handle of the corkscrew, while applying downward pressure. Continue turning the handle until the wings are completely raised.

4. Grasp each wing and push them down towards the bottle. This should raise the cork about 3/4 of the way out of the bottle.

5. Grab the base of the corkscrew and gently pull the cork out of the bottle.

Haven't mastered the technique yet? If pieces of the cork get into the wine, pour it into a decanter or pitcher through a strainer to catch the cork.

What to Know About Storage

Ideally, we'd all like a wine cellar to keep our vino fresh and tasty. Wine fridges are a great investment in all different sizes and prices. But if it doesn't fit in your budget, what can you do to get the most out of your wine?

* Keep it cool. Wine should be stored at 50-59 degrees Fahrenheit. Avoid storing wine in the kitchen unless you want it to cook along with pesto pasta.

* Wine is stored in dark glass to keep sunlight from reacting it. Store your bottles in a dry, dark place to maximize shelf life.

* Since heat rises, store your wine in a low, dark, dry place to keep it cool.

* Store bottles at a 45-degree angle to preserve the cork. If a wine bottle stands vertically for too long, the cork may shrink which allows air into the bottle and damages the quality of the wine.

It's Gone Sour

A common misconception about tasting wine at restaurants is that a waiter asks you to sample your chosen vino to make sure it agrees with your taste buds. In reality, the purpose of tasting wine is to see if it's gone bad. But why do wines go sour and how do you know when it has?

Wines can go bad for a number of reasons. The term corked is often used to describe a wine that has gone bad. Saying a wine is corked actually refers to the cork itself. Natural corks, created from cork trees in Portugal, are susceptible to developing an invisible mold. When the material is then used for wine corks, the mold goes into the wine and causes it to have a musty, stale taste. Luckily, synthetic corks have all but eliminated this possibility.

Wine is also very sensitive to air. If air gets into the bottle, the wine oxidizes and carries the all too familiar smell of vinegar. To prevent wine from oxidizing after opening, use a wine stopper and pump to remove the excess air from the bottle and increase the life of the wine. A couple bucks can save a great bottle from going down the drain.

Improper storage can also make a wine taste less than desirable after opening. If it's not corked or oxidized, the good news is that you don't have to write it off right away. Recork the wine and let it sit for a couple hours to a day. You may be pleasantly surprised with the end product.

— Written by Christina Licata

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